


Evie's Marichat May 2019

by good_eviening



Series: Evie's Monthly Miraculous Things 2019 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: And I tend to overwrite, And probably won't be finished for a while, Cause I didn't start this until now, F/M, Identity Reveal, June Edition!, Marichat May 2019, So this is gonna be long, There's gonna be all the prompts in here cause I wanna challenge myself, but they are, i didnt mean for all of these to basically be identity reveals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-03-29 22:17:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19029052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_eviening/pseuds/good_eviening
Summary: Come one, come all, to Evie's Marichat May 2019!Now featuring being published in any month BUT May!And also at random times!Because I have other things to do too!Yay!





	1. A Crushed Mask

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, I didn't start the prompts for Marichat May until two days before the end of the month, but I love them all, so I'm just gonna keep doing them in June regardless because I'm having too much fun with it.
> 
> I know that prompt 12 is Mask Ball, but this one is for Prompt 1 because they have no powers. They WILL have powers in Prompt 12, so, uh, yeah, that'll be fun.
> 
> That's it though!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Alya, do we  _ have _ to do this?”

 

“Oh, stop  _ whining _ , Marinette, it’s gonna be great!”

 

Marinette scowled as Alya poked at her with the make-up brush.

 

“I can do my  _ own _ make-up, you know,” Marinette grumbled under her breath.

 

Alya raised an eyebrow. “You’d go too light, Mari. You made an intense dress, you need intense make-up.” Marinette glanced for a moment down at the tight-fitting red dress she had made, small black pearls adorning the area around the waist.

 

“But you can’t even see it!”

 

Alya shook her head and continued to attack her friend’s eyelids. “Of course you can.”

 

Marinette yelped as Alya yanked her head toward her and angled her face upward. Marinette struggled to stay still as her friend applied mascara on her bottom lashes.

 

“There, perfect.” Alya gave Mari a wide grin. “You look perfect.”

 

Marinette sighed and nodded. “Thanks, I guess.”

 

“Now, help me into my dress.”

 

Once Alya was fully zipped up in her orange-ruffled dress with white lace, she demanded the two of them take a few selfies together. Marinette was against the idea before Alya pulled out the puppy-dog eyes and won her over.

 

“Girls, it’s time to go, you’re going to be late!”

 

Marinette let out a squeak and followed her friend down the ladder and out of her room ( _ very _ slowly).

 

“Next time, let’s think of a better way to get dressed that doesn’t involve nearly falling and dying on a ladder,” Alya stated as they descended the stairs and slipped outside, making their way toward the car that was waiting (Tom was driving them).

 

“Agreed,” Marinette nodded.

 

Alya took out her phone as soon as they sat in the car. She  _ always _ seemed to be on her phone.

 

“So, what is this for again, Marinette?” Tom asked from the front seat as he pulled away from the bakery.

“Uh, it’s a masquerade ball sort of thing,” Marinette responded, fingering the mask in her hands. She glanced down at it, admiring the red fabric with black pearls adorning it. It matched her dress very well. “It’s normally for really, uh, famous people, but Alya had a plus-one cause she was invited because of her mom.”

 

“I would have thought Alya would have invited Nino,” Tom said thoughtfully.

 

Alya nodded. “I was going to, but he said that he had a friend who was going who had invited him, so I was free to bring my good friend Mari here.” She patted her friend on the back.

 

“I think it’s very nice of you to invite Marinette to this, er, ball,” Tom said, a soft smile on his face. But, then again, when  _ wasn’t _ there a smile on his face?

 

“Yeah, er, thanks, Alya.”

 

“No problem, girl,” Alya grinned. “You know I’ve got you.”

 

Tom finally pulled up in front of where the party was supposed to be taking place: a fancy venue downtown that Marinette had never even set  _ foot _ in. There were limos and fancy sports cars pulling up in front of the building, and Marinette had never felt so much like an outsider as she did at that moment.

 

“Come on, girl, mask on,” Alya said, poking Marinette in the side.

 

“Got it, got it,” Marinette said, swatting Alya’s hand away. When she had successfully warded her attacker off, she slipped on the mask and made sure it was secure on her face. 

 

“Looking good,” Alya said, giving a thumbs-up as she opened the car door.

 

“Bye, girls! Have a wonderful time!”

 

“Thanks, Mr. Dupain!”

 

“Yeah, thanks, Dad!”

 

Marinette closed the car door behind her and gave one final wave as Tom drove away before turning to the building. Alya glanced at her and playfully offered her arm. “Shall we?”

 

Marinette laughed and nodded, taking her friend’s arm. “We shall.”

 

The two walked up the steps and Marinette was thankful that she had worn flats to this because there were a  _ lot _ of stairs.

 

“I’m gonna go find Nino,” Alya said after she had produced their tickets and handed them to one of the men at the door before putting them back in her purse. “He said he was already here.”

 

“Will you be back?”

 

“Sure, sure.”

 

As Alya disappeared into the crowd, though, Marinette knew she wasn’t seeing her friend again for the rest of the night.

 

Marinette was alone.

 

She wandered for a bit. A few minutes in she spotted Chloe and proceeded to stay on the opposite of the room at all times.

 

She got water from the drink table and wondered why they had to put it in wine glasses. A quarter the people here were teenagers who were only here because of friends and family.

 

Eventually, Marinette migrated to the dance floor, or, more accurately, the edge of it. She watched the people twirling as music played, but she wasn’t going to join them. Not alone.

 

“ _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng! _ ”

 

Marinette resisted verbally groaning as she turned to see none other than Chloe, dressed fully in a flowing yellow dress, glowering at her.

 

“Hey, Chloe,” Marinette said. She wasn’t feeling like dealing with Chloe’s shit right now. She gave the girl  _ finger-guns _ as she added, “How’s it hanging?”

 

Chloe’s eye twitched. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

 

“Alya brought me.”

 

Chloe stomped her foot. “I won’t have it! You are  _ not _ allowed at  _ my _ party!”

 

“This isn’t  _ your _ party, Chloe.”

 

Chloe crossed her arms and snorted. “Oh, yeah? Who’s gonna tell  _ me _ that?”

 

Marinette, somehow feeling particularly daring, took a few long strides until she had nearly closed the distance between her and the teenage queen of Paris. “Me.”

 

Chloe, looking ready to explode, reached forward after a split-second of silence, wrapped her fingers around Marinette’s handmade mask, and pulled. The strap snapped a second later and the mask fell to the ground, crumpled, beads falling off. Chloe stepped forward and ground her heel into it. 

 

Marinette met the other girl’s eyes, shocked, and Chloe had the  _ audacity _ to  _ smirk _ . 

 

“Know your place, Dupain-Cheng.”

 

And with that, she was gone.

 

Marinette stood in shock for a few long seconds, to where she barely registered it as a dark figure moved in front of her, leaned down, and picked up the mask.

 

“I’m quite  _ paw- _ sitive this is yours?”

 

Marinette blinked out of her stupor to see a boy in front of her.

 

The boy looked to be about her age, but he was disguised so well that he might not be, to be honest. His golden blonde hair was messy, and he was dressed completely in what looked like black leather. Were those  _ cat ears _ in his hair?  _ How did he get those to stay there? _ She finally made contact with the eyes behind the black mask and nearly fainted right there. His green eyes were so  _ beautiful _ .

 

“Hello?”

 

Marinette blinked and her eyes moved to the mask in his hands. She winced at her ruined work. “Yeah, that’s mine.”

 

“ _ Purr _ -fect.”

 

She scowled at the play on words. “Puns? Really?”

 

The boy snickered. “What? Are you not a fan,  _ purr _ -incess?”

 

She shivered. “No, dude, no.”

 

The boy chuckled again. 

 

There was an awkward silence before Marinette asked, “You know Chloe?” She threw her head in the direction of the blonde as she spoke.

 

The boy stared at her for a moment, and she wondered why so much thought had to go into the simple answer. Yes or no?

 

“Well, personally? Kinda. I know  _ of _ her, though.” His voice lowered and he added under his breath, “Pretty sure  _ everyone _ does.”

 

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re not, like, friends with her?”

 

His head whipped to her and she stared for a moment before laughing. “Friends? No, no, I don’t think so.” His eyes glanced at Chloe again. “I mean, I grew up with her, but she seems to more just be obsessed with me.”He ran a hand through his hair as he looked back at Marinette. “That’s why I put on such an elaborate costume.”

 

“To avoid her?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Marinette sighed. “I know how you feel, I guess.” Her cheeks heated. “I mean, uh, I want to avoid her! I’m not, er, friends with her. Like, at all.”

 

The boy nodded. “I could figure that out from context clues.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“The way she screamed your name and ripped your mask off for starters.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“ _ All right all couples, get on out onto that dance floor, we’ve got a special one just for you _ .”

 

People moved on and off of the dance floor and a moment later Marinette felt her heart in her throat when the boy turned to her and fell back, holding out his hand comically. “Will you do me the honor,  _ Purr _ -incess?”

 

If she  _ had _ been embarrassed, it was gone now, replaced just with general annoyance. She groaned. “You’ve  _ got _ to be kidding me.”

 

“I am, in no way,  _ kitten _ around.”

 

Marinette placed her face in her hands to avoid looking at the smirk on his lips. 

 

“So, uh,  _ would _ you like to dance?”

 

Marinette looked at him again and, after a moment, nodded, taking the hand he still had outstretched. 

 

The two moved onto the dance floor and as the music started up, Marinette said, “I’m going to warn you now, though, that I  _ don’t _ know how to dance.”

 

He grinned widely, and Marinette found herself liking the sight. “I’ll show you how.”

 

He led her out onto the dance floor before turning to face her.

 

As she tried to follow along with her partner’s steps, Marinette couldn’t help but ask, “Why a cat?”

 

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging. “I like cats. I’ve got one at home. He’s pretty  _ paw- _ some” He smiled a bit at the thought. “Call him Plagg. He seems to only want to eat camembert.” He scowled. “Burns through my monthly allowance like  _ that _ .” He looked to her and grinned again. “Plus, cat puns are some of the most plentiful out there.” His gaze softened a bit and he asked, “What about you? You got any pets at home?”

 

Marinette shook her head. “Oh, no. I used to have a fish, but, er, he got too fat and we had to let him go.”

 

He nodded. “That's… unfortunate, I guess.” He eyed her dress. “You seem to be a fan of ladybugs, though.”

 

Marinette looked down at her dress and nodded. “I am. They’re so, er, positive, I guess. You know, they’re meant to be lucky. I’m just, I don’t know, really, er, inspired by them.”

 

He nodded as if all had become clear to him.

 

After a moment, he asked, “So,  your name is… Marionette?”

 

She  _ giggled _ .  _ Giggled! _ “Close. Marinette.”

 

“Ah.”

 

As the song came to a close, Marinette looked up at him and asked, “What should I call you?”

 

He grinned widely. “Chat Noir.”

 

She raised an eyebrow. “Chat Noir?”

 

He nodded. “Chat Noir.”

 

She hummed. “Well, I’m gonna call you Chaton.” She reached up and flicked the bell on his neck.

 

His grin expanded. “I can handle that.”

 

As they moved off of the dance floor, Marinette didn’t release her hold on his wrist as she led him through the crowd and toward where there weren’t any people: A space along the walls of the room.

 

Marinette wasn’t sure how long they talked (or how many puns were made), but it felt like only a few moments. It must have been  _ hours _ , though, as Alya ran up to her as Chat was getting a drink of water and said, “Hey, girl! You haven’t been answering your texts, what gives?”

 

Marinette blinked. “What?”

 

“Your dad had to text  _ me _ to tell me that he was picking us up in five minutes because  _ you _ never answered!”

 

Marinette pulled out her phone and saw that her dad had, indeed, texted her twenty-something times in the past hour. 

 

“I… I guess I was just distracted.”

 

Alya nodded. “I get it, girl. The party is turning to an adult one now, so we have to head out. I’m gonna go say bye to Nino, I’ll meet you at the door in a few minutes, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

As Alya retreated into the crowd, Chat emerged from it.

 

“I got you water too.”

 

Marinette grinned and accepted the glass. “Oh, what a gentleman you are, Chaton,” she teased.

 

Chat’s face turned a bit red but he nodded. “I was  _ feline _ particularly generous today.”

 

“Your puns are horrible.”

 

“I don’t think they’re  _ that Claw _ -ful.”

 

Marinette groaned again. “I hate you.”

 

Chat grinned and winked at her. “You know you love me.”

 

Marinette sighed and checked her phone, grimacing when she realized that it was time to leave.

 

Chat saw the way her face fell and gave a smile to her, though it was much sadder than his other ones. “You have to go, don’t you?”

 

Marinette released a sigh and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

 

“How un- _ fur _ -tunate.”

 

She looked u at him with fury and whacked him on the shoulder.

 

“ _ Me-ow! _ ”

 

Marinette couldn’t help but snort at that one. “Dumb Kitty,” she mumbled.

 

Chat smiled softly. “Yeah…”

 

Marinette sighed and tugged at one of the strands of hair that she hadn’t tied up into the bun on the back of her head.

 

After a long moment, she spoke. “Chat… I’m, uh, I’m gonna miss you.”

 

He grinned and nodded. “I’m gonna miss you too.” He stared at her for a moment before asking, “You go to school with Chloe, right?” Marinette nodded. “Good luck with that.”

 

Marinette scowled. “Thanks.”

 

“Don’t worry,  _ Purr- _ incess, I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.” He gave her another wide smile.

 

Marinette giggled (why was she doing that so much!). “I hope so.” She stepped forward, feeling emboldened, stood on her toes, and pecked him on the cheek. “Bye, Chat.”

 

His face looked as if it was on fire, but he nodded and gave her an exaggerated bow. “Until we meet again, Marinette.”

 

Marinette laughed and gave a curtsy as best she could before giving one more wave and making her way into the crowd and away.

 

“Girl, who was that?” Alya asked when Marinette found her.

 

“Just…” Marinette realized how hot her face was as she smiled softly. “A friend.”

 

“Where did your mask go?” 

 

Marinette looked in her purse but found nothing. She groaned. “I could have reused those pearls!”

 

Alya laughed and patted her on the back as they got into the car. “Classic Marinette.”

 

The next day at school, the class was buzzing (mainly Chloe, to be honest) about a new boy who was coming. A model, apparently. Adrien Agreste. Marinette knew of him, actually. His father was her favorite designer. If he was Chloe’s friend, though, he was probably just like her. Or, god forbid,  _ worse _ .

 

The door opened and Miss Bustier introduced the new student. Marinette drowned out his words but watched with slight interest as the model boy chose to sit next to Nino instead of Chloe, his supposed friend. 

 

The hours went by and Marinette tried to ignore the new boy, but she was unable to when he tapped her on the shoulder at lunch.

 

“Hi, er, Marinette, right?”

 

She nodded and raised an eyebrow. “Adrien?”

 

He gave her a thumbs-up. “You got it.”

 

“Can I, er, talk to you for a minute?”

 

Marinette glanced at Alya who gave her a nod.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

Marinette followed Adrien away from the lunch tables and to the space under the stairs (one devoid of people).

 

“So, what do you need?” Marinette asked, turning to face him.

 

He grinned, and she felt like she knew it from somewhere. 

 

Her heart stopped as he held out her broken mask from last night and said, “I’m quite  _ paw _ -sitive that this is yours,  _ Purr _ -incess.”

 

She was quite sure her screech could be heard all the way to the bakery.


	2. Your Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019 - Prompt 2: Greek AU
> 
> \- - - - -
> 
> Marinette was a simple goddess.
> 
> She got bored.
> 
> She wandered around.
> 
> She walked into a cave that led to the Underworld.
> 
> Simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019 - Prompt 2: Greek AU
> 
> \- - - - -
> 
> This one was a fun one to write, but I was pretty wishy-washy with a lot of the magic stuff.
> 
> Just... try to ignore that.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Uh… hey? What, uh, what are you doing here?”

 

Marinette looked up to see a man, well, more like a teenager. He actually looked to be about her age, no older than maybe twenty. 

 

She furrowed her eyebrows. “Do you have… cat ears?”

 

The boy’s face scrunched up. “ _ That’s _ what you take away from everything?”

 

Marinette nodded, sitting down on a rock nearby. She looked around. “This place is cool.” She turned back to him. “Who are you?”

 

“Um…” The boy cleared his throat. “I’m, uh, Chat Noir.”

 

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “The God of Destruction? The God of the Underworld? That’s  _ you _ ?”

 

The boy nodded.

 

Marinette snorted. “You… don’t live up to your name.” She gestured to his blonde hair. “You aren’t even, like, black-haired or anything.”

 

Chat crossed his arms, ignoring her comments in favor of asking his own question. “And who are  _ you _ supposed to be?”

 

Marinette stood up, gathered some of the pink silk of her dress, and gave an overexaggerated curtsy to him. “Marinette, Goddess of Creation and Luck and all that.”

 

Chat looked a bit shocked for a moment. “Really?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Doesn’t seem like you belong down here, then,” Chat said, grinning widely at her. “We’re  _ literally _ opposites.”

 

Marinette shrugged. “Eh, whatever. I like it down here.” She grit her teeth. “Everything up there is so bright. I needed a break.”

 

“So… you just… wandered… down here?”

 

“I’m a simple girl. I see a cave. I go into it.”

 

Chat let out a laugh. “Oh, I  _ like _ you, Princess.”

 

Marinette grinned. “The feeling’s mutual,  _ Chaton _ .”

 

Chat’s grin widened.

 

Marinette glanced around before asking, “So, can I… just… hang here for a while?”

 

\- - - - -

 

“Why have things gone so out of balance on Earth?!” Zeus demanded, slamming his hand down on the table, shaking the entire mountain of gods. 

 

“What is he yelling about?” Alya, a daughter of Hermes, hissed to her lover.

 

“I think destruction is at its regular level, but Tikki can’t find Marinette, so nothing is being created to balance it out,” Nino, a son of Apollo, responded in an equally low tone.

 

Alya groaned. “ _ Mari _ …”

 

“I’m sorry, Zeus, but I just can’t find Marinette anywhere!” Tikki exclaimed. Tikki was one of the two original gods. She was the one who created Gaia and Uranus in the first place and was coupled with Plagg. Tikki was the goddess of creation and Plagg was the god of destruction, but they had both removed themselves from the everyday world and instead manifested their powers through two younger gods to ensure that the world was kept in balance properly.

 

“What about you, Plagg?” Hera asked, turning to cat god.

 

The small animal that held so much power shrugged. “I don’t know where Tikki’s bug is.”

 

“Well, do you know where your ward is?” Tikki asked, crossing her small arms.

 

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Plagg blipped out a moment later before appearing again after a long and awkward minute. His eyes were a bit wide.

 

“What is it?” Tikki asked, turning to him and uncrossing her arms.

 

“I…uh…”

 

“Speak!” Zeus demanded. He really was an impatient guy, wasn’t he?

 

“Well…I have some good news…”

 

“What is it?” Tikki asked, the small ladybug goddess zipping over to him. “Did you find Marinette?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Plagg nodded. 

 

Artemis, from her perch on the back of her chair rather than the actual seat, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Well? Where is she?”

 

“The Underworld…”

 

Hades stood up. “What?” He  _ lived _ in the Underworld. After so many years ruling the land of the dead, the god had been happy to pass it onto the new ward being trained by the God of Destruction, going off to live happily with his wife Persephone, but he still prided himself on  _ knowing _ all of the things that went on in the realm that was originally his. And, still, he knew  _ nothing _ about this.

 

Zeus stood up from his seat and all attention turned to him. “Tikki, go with Plagg to the Underworld and retrieve your chosen. Bring her back and restore the balance back to the world.”

 

Tikki nodded and grabbed onto Plagg. A moment later, the two were gone.

 

Alya leaned over to Nino and said, “You think she met Chat?”

 

Nino raised an eyebrow. “You mean Adrien?”

 

Alya’s eyes widened comically. “Chat Noir is  _ Adrien _ ?”

 

\- - - - - 

 

“ _ Marinette! _ ”

 

The goddess in question glanced in the direction that the small voice had come from, turning away from Chat Noir and putting her conversation with him on pause.

 

“Oh, hey, Tikki.”

 

Chat’s eyes widened from behind his mask. “Plagg?” He blinked. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

 

“Bringing Tikki here so she could get her bug back home.”

 

Marinette groaned. “Tikki! I’ve been here for like a few hours at the most!”

 

Tikki glared. “Marinette! It’s been  _ months _ .”

 

Both teenagers looked a little surprised before Chat snorted. “Uh, time flies when you’re having fun, right?”

 

“The world is out of balance, Marinette!” Tikki exclaimed, ignoring Chat’s words. “I haven’t been able to channel any magic through you without knowing where you are and since Chat’s transformed because Plagg is irresponsible, destruction has been running at a faster rate than usual.”

 

“So, that’s it?” Marinette asked, taking a step back. “We say goodbye and that’s that? I never see Chat again?”

 

Tikki nodded. “Zeus wants you to stay generally in the same place. So that I can always find you. There’s nothing tying you to the Underworld, Marinette. You can’t stay here.”

 

Marinette sighed. “Fine. Fine.” She turned away from the small animal gods and to Chat. “Then there’s one thing I want to do.”

 

Chat blinked down at her. “And what is that, Princess?”

 

Marinette stood on the tips of her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down a bit, and pressed her lips against Chat’s.

 

It felt like both an eternity and no time at all as Chat pressed back and wrapped his arms around her, the two standing there together, savoring every precious moment.

 

“I’m gonna miss you, Chaton,” Marinette said, leaning into the crook of his neck.

 

“I...I’m gonna miss you too, Princess.” He cleared his throat. “ _ Mari _ .”

 

“Bye.”

 

Marinette turned to Tikki and gave a nod. The small ladybug goddess floated over, pressed a hand to Marinette’s cheek and, with one final wave, the two disappeared into thin air.

 

Chat sighed at the empty space and looked over to see Plagg laughing.

 

“What’s so funny?” Adrien asked, crossing his arms as Plagg made the transformation fall away after so long.

 

Plagg wiped fake tears from his eyes and grinned at the boy. “Oh, you’ve got it  _ bad _ , kid.”

 

\- - - - -

 

The next day, after fixing the balance, Marinette thought long and hard about what Tikki had said.

 

“ _ The Underworld is not your place, Marinette _ .”

 

She furrowed her eyebrows.  _ How could she  _ make it  _ her place? _

 

She asked Alya to send a letter to Chat Noir a week later, right after promising to tell her friend all the details when everything settled.

 

Another week passed when she got a response. An  _ agreement _ .

 

That very same hour, she marched up to Zeus’s chair on Mount Olympus and said, “I’m going to get married to Chat Noir.”


	3. "At least you're not in love with two people."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019 - Prompt 3: Kittens
> 
> \- - - - -
> 
> Adrien had a day off.
> 
> That, of course, meant Chat Noir had a day to hang out with Marinette.
> 
> And apparently some kittens they found in an alleyway too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna have to add 'Identity Reveal' as a tag

It was Sunday and, somehow, Nathalie had managed to convince Adrien’s father to give him the day off.

 

He  _ was _ excited, but then he remembered that Nino and Alya were out on a date today.

 

He  _ could _ go see Marinette, but she was sometimes pretty nervous around him for…some reason… 

 

But she wasn’t nervous around Chat Noir!

Adrien grinned. Now  _ that _ was a solution.

 

“Plagg, come on, we’re gonna go visit Marinette.”

 

The little black kwami groaned, downed a wedge of camembert, and slipped into Adrien’s front pocket.

 

“Where are you off to, Adrien?” Nathalie asked as he made his way through the house.

 

“I’m gonna go hang out with a friend,” he responded easily, making sure he didn’t look tense in any way as he locked eyes with her.

 

Nathalie raised an eyebrow. “Which friend?”

 

“Marinette.”

 

Nathalie stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Go ahead.”

 

Adrien grinned. “Thanks, Nathalie!” Before she could respond, he slipped out the door and into the street.

 

Adrien moved down the sidewalk with a skip in his step before sliding into an alley.

 

“You better make sure to eat one of the cheese danishes while you’re there,” Plagg grumbled as he flew out of Adrien’s pocket. 

 

“I will, I will,” Adrien said, waving the kwami off. He raised his ring. “All right. Plagg,  _ Claws on _ !”

 

Adrien felt the cool green energy wash over his body, like being dunked in a pool of water that was lower than the temperature outside.

 

“Let’s go!”

 

Chat Noir hopped up and out of the alley, right onto the rooftops of Paris. He grinned. He felt so free like this: The wind in his hair, the flexible suit, the fact that he could jump across buildings in one leap. It was all so amazing.

 

He shook his head. Back on topic. Time to head to Marinette’s.

 

As it turned out, Chat didn’t have to look that far to find his friend.

 

“Hey there, Marinette.”

 

The girl looked up from where she was on the sidewalk and gave him a small smirk. “Hey, Kitty.”

 

Chat jumped down from the roof on his baton and perched himself on top of a lamppost.

 

“What are you doing here?” Marinette asked, looking up at him. 

 

“Just wanted to hang out with my favorite princess,” he said, shrugging, the smile on his face still firmly in place. “I was on my way to your place when I spotted you down here.”

 

“Yeah,” Marinette nodded. “I was delivering something for Maman and Papa. I was just heading home now.”

 

Chat Noir nodded. “What was it?”

 

“What was what?”

 

“Whatever you were delivering.”

 

“Oh.” Marinette’s cheeks were dusted with pink. “Uh, it was croissants, I think. For a breakfast party or something.”

 

“Ooh, croissants.” Chat’s mouth was already beginning to water. He loved those flakey pastries.

 

Marinette chuckled. “You can come hang out with me if you want. Alya’s on a date with Nino and I haven’t talked to Adrien because he’s always busy on Sunday.”

 

Chat nodded and felt a little bad. He hadn’t even let Marinette know that Adrien was technically free today.

 

“That sounds awesome, Mari.”

 

Marinette grinned. “Cool.” She turned and began walking, gesturing for him to follow. “Come on, Chaton.”

 

Chat followed along on the rooftops, walking above Marinette and talking about a lot of random things.

 

“So… why are you out and about today, Chat?” Marinette asked. “I thought you and Ladybug only patrolled during the evening?”

 

Chat nodded. “We do. I just felt like going out today, you know? My father let me have a free day and what better way to spend it than with the one, the only: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

 

Marinette laughed. “Well, it’s nice spending time with you, too, Chat.”

 

As they passed by an alley (Chat leaping over it, of course), Marinette stopped.

 

Chat looked down at her. “Mari? What is it?”

 

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and turned to the alley, seemingly full of nothing but garbage. “Did you hear that?” She asked.

 

“Hear what?”

 

“Listen.”

 

Chat closed his eyes and the ears on the top of his head twitched a bit as he listened as hard as he could. There was nothing other than the normal sounds of the city. Then-

 

“ _ Meow! _ ”

 

He opened his eyes and looked down at Marinette, who was staring at him expectantly.

 

“Is that a… cat?” He asked.

 

She nodded. “I think so.”

 

Chat looked down into the alley and said, “Let’s find them.”

 

Marinette nodded and moved into the alley as Chat shot his baton down and slid down it to the ground.

 

After a few minutes, Marinette called, “I found them!”

 

Chat moved quickly over to her and looked down into the box she was kneeling beside. Inside of it were three kittens.

 

“They’re so  _ adorable _ ,” Chat breathed out. He had a soft spot for cats. Obviously.

 

“Yeah,” Marinette whispered, looking pretty enamored with the animals herself.

 

“What are we gonna do with them?” Chat asked, glancing at Marinette as she reached forward to pet one of the kittens on the head. The animal backed away from her. It looked terrified.

 

She stood up. “We’re bringing them to my house.” 

 

Chat blinked. “Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Marinette effortlessly picked up the box and walked out of the alley. 

 

“Princess, wait!”

 

She turned. “What?”

 

“I’ll carry you.”

 

Before Marinette could respond, Chat had already moved forward and, quite literally, swept her off her feet.

 

“Wha- Chat!”

 

“This is faster.”

 

Marinette grumbled and shifted a bit before sighing and accepting her fate. She adjusted the box in her arms to have a better hold on it and let Chat carry her across the rooftops of Paris.

 

As they soared through the air, Chat pretended not to notice how hot his face was getting. He  _ didn’t _ notice the red that was taking over Marinette’s cheeks.

 

“And here we are.”

 

Chat set Marinette down carefully, making sure that she was able to keep a tight hold on the box the entire time.

 

Marinette pushed open the window into her room and slipped inside. Chat looked after her. 

 

“Are you coming?” Her voice asked from inside.

 

“Uh, yeah, of course!”

 

Chat slid inside and closed the window behind him before getting on the floor next to Marinette.

 

“So… What are we gonna do about them?” He asked.

 

“I can’t keep them,” Marinette said.

 

“Me neither.” Chat thought of his father. There was  _ no way _ he would  _ ever _ be allowed to bring these little guys home. “I wish I could, though.”

 

“Me too,” Marinette sighed. “They’re  _ so cute _ .”

 

“What are we gonna do with them?” Chat asked, glancing at Marinette and inadvertently making eye contact with her.

 

“I can probably convince Maman and Papa to let me keep them in my room for a few days until we can find a good home for them.”

 

“We?” Chat repeated her words.

 

Marinette narrowed her eyes. “Yes,  _ we _ . You’re helping me with this whether you like it or not.”

 

Chat stared at her for a moment before grinning and nodding. “Of course, Princess. You can count on me.”

 

\- - - - -

 

“All right. It’s the last day with these little guys. The shelter said I could bring them in tomorrow morning before school.”

 

Chat nodded. “I’m gonna miss them.”

 

Marinette smiled softly at the boy, though he was too busy with the kittens to notice. “Me too.”

 

Chat turned to Marinette and, as he made eye contact with her, she felt her face grow warm. 

 

“Do you remember all their names?” Chat asked.

 

Marinette nodded. “I think so.”

 

Chat smirked and gestured at the kittens. “What are they, then?”

 

Marinette let out a small sigh and pointed at one of them, a white one with a gray patch over its left eye. “Pepper.” Chat nodded and Marinette let out a sigh of relief before moving on. She pointed to a ginger one with black spots across its fur. “Lady.” Chat grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. She rolled her eyes. He was so crazy, naming one that was kind of red after Ladybug. She pointed at the last one, a black one with green eyes. “Noir.”

 

Chat clapped his hands together. “Nice job, Princess.”

 

Marinette grinned at him. “Thanks, Kitty.”

 

The two stared at each other for a long moment and Marinette felt something shift inside of her.

 

She decided suddenly, without thinking at all, when she leaned forward and locked lips with her partner.

 

But, for some reason, Chat didn’t pull away.

 

A few long, blissful moments passed before the two broke the kiss. Marinette leaned back to see that Chat had a face that was probably as red as hers.

 

“I’m sorry!” Marinette said before Chat could even open his mouth.

 

Chat blinked. “Sorry?”

 

“Yes! I know you’re in love with Ladybug, and I’m in love with someone too, and then I just did that, and-”

 

“Marinette!” Chat exclaimed, effectively cutting her off. Marinette felt tears bubble up in her eyes as she looked into his eyes. He was in love with her alter ego, and she was in love with Adrien, but she’d just  _ kissed him _ .  _ As Marinette _ . 

 

Chat took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m in love with Ladybug.” For some reason that made her heart sink. “But I think I’m also in love with you.”

 

Marinette nodded slowly. “I’m in love with Adrien Agreste,” she said, and for some reason it made him freeze, his eyes widening. She ignored it and continued. “But I think I’m also in love with you.”

 

Chat laughed, a breathy sound. “This is weird.”

 

She laughed. “It is.”

 

“Would you maybe wanna… try to figure stuff out for a while before deciding what we do?”

 

Marinette nodded. “That’s a good idea.” 

 

The two turned back to the kittens, both of their faces still bright red.

 

“Which one’s your favorite?” Marinette asked to try and break the silence.

 

“Take a guess.”

 

Marinette giggled. “I’m gonna guess Ladybug?” Chat grinned and nodded. “I’m a bit partial to Noir, to be honest, but I can see where you’re coming from.”

 

(Don’t worry, Pepper was still getting some love. Alya had come over and fallen in love with the white and gray cat as soon as she laid eyes on her).

 

Chat scooped Ladybug up and held her up in Marinette’s face. “How could you  _ not _ see where I’m coming from, Princess?” He grinned. “She’s  _ adorable _ .”

 

Marinette laughed and backed away a bit, placing her fingers on Chat’s chest to push him away a small bit. She looked at Ladybug and a soft smile appeared on her lips.

 

“Yeah, I’ll admit, she  _ is _ pretty cute.” She reached forward and stroked the cat on the chin. “I like the  _ spots on _ her-” Marinette heard a small shriek from her bag and suddenly a warm pink light was engulfing her. “Wait, Tikki, no, that’s not what I-”

 

The light faded and Marinette was sitting there as Ladybug. Chat looked like he had lost all ability to function. Marinette slowly drew her hand away from Ladybug’s chin to smile sheepishly at her partner. “At least you’re not in love with two people like I am.” She shrugged before whispering, “ _ Spots off _ .”

 

Tikki fell into her palm but before the kwami or the girl could say anything, Chat finally said, “ _ Claws in _ .”

 

Marinette’s jaw dropped as her partner detransformed right in front of her in a wave of green light. She blinked once, twice, and the boy in front of her didn’t fade. Adrien.

 

Adrien gave her a small smile and shrugged. “I guess you’re not in love with two people either.”

 

Marinette stared at him for a long moment before groaning.

 

Adrien looked a bit scared all of a sudden. “What is it?”

 

“You know, I always thought you were  _ perfect _ .”

 

“Okay?”

 

“But now…”

 

“Now?”

 

“Now I know that you like  _ puns _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do all of these basically have an identity reveal? I don't understand.
> 
> I just love them so much.


	4. Revelations (On More Than One Count)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019- Prompt 4: Birthday
> 
> \- - - - -
> 
> Chat Noir doesn't celebrate his birthday. He does as Adrien, so no one needs to even know when Chat Noir's is.
> 
> He tells Marinette, though.
> 
> And even if he doesn't care much for the day, he would prefer to not get mortally wounded on his birthday, thank you very much, Mr. Hawkmoth.

“Wait, it was  _ your _ birthday, too?”

 

Chat blinked and nodded. “Yeah.”

 

Marinette glared at him. “And you didn’t  _ tell me _ .”

 

“Well, you weren’t, like, left out or anything,” Chat said, shrugging. “I didn’t tell Ladybug either.”

 

Marinette scowled. “That doesn’t make it any better!”

 

Chat sighed. “I just… It was a big day. That Adrien kid was having a birthday party for the first time, right?” Marinette nodded. “I didn’t wanna ruin that for him.” Chat smiled, but it looked sad. “No one cares if it’s Chat Noir’s birthday.”

 

Marinette leaned back and crossed her arms. “ _ I _ care.”

 

Chat pretended to have not heard her.

 

\- - - - -

 

“What are you doing, Princess?”

 

Marinette yelped and nearly fell out of her chair.

 

“Chat!” She exclaimed from the floor. She stood up and whacked the superhero on the shoulder. “Don’t  _ do _ that!”

 

Chat laughed and tried to dodge her attack. “Sorry, sorry!” He grinned when she stopped. “I  _ paw _ -mise that it won’t happen again.”

 

Marinette groaned and turned back to her work.

 

“So… what  _ are _ you doing?”

 

“I’m making a present for my friend’s birthday,” Marinette responded. 

 

“Who?”

 

“Adrien Agreste,” she said, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she continued to stitch the fabric.

 

“Adrien?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Chat fell back into a chair and asked, “Why would you make him something?”

 

Marinette blinked before turning to him with a blazing fury in her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean? I get things for  _ all _ of my close friends!”

 

“But you don’t  _ make _ things for all of your friends’ birthdays,” Chat pressed. “So what makes  _ this _ kid so special?”

 

“I  _ love _ him, okay?”

 

Chat froze. Marinette…  _ loved  _ him?

 

“W-What?”

 

“I love him, you stupid cat! I love him more than I can even say!”

 

For a moment, Chat was speechless. Then his eyes landed on some of Marinette’s designs next to posters of him modeling. He scowled.

 

“You mean you love Adrien Agreste, famous model.”

 

Marinette growled. She  _ growled _ . “No. I love  _ Adrien _ . My  _ friend _ .”

 

Before Chat could say anything, Marinette continued on.

 

“I love the boy who was given everything on a silver platter and is still more humble than anyone I know. I love the boy who struggles so hard to fit in and still keeps trying. I love the boy who cares for each of his friends more than life itself. I love the boy whose father couldn’t spare him a second glance but still has the courage and the will to continue on. I love the boy who is kinder than should even be possible, who’s so bright and happy all the time that it’s suffocating. I don’t love Adrien Agreste, famous model, I love Adrien Agreste, my  _ friend _ .” Marinette was gasping for breath at the end of her speech after having spewed off so much.

 

Chat was staring at her for a long time when she was done, and he was seeing her in a new light. Marinette loved  _ him _ . Not a  _ model.  _ **_Him_ ** **.**

 

Chat felt like he could cry.

 

“Chat, are you okay?”

 

He blinked and saw Marinette looking concerned at him, her hand on his shoulder.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” Chat gave her a weak smile. “I’ve gotta go anyway. Sorry, Princess.”

 

Marinette nodded. “Okay, Okay. Cool. See you later.”

 

Chat flashed her one more smile before slipping out the window and running off into Paris.

 

He had some things to think about.

 

\- - - - -

 

“Happy birthday, Adrien!”

 

Adrien looked up as he was packing up at the end of the day to see Marinette holding out a present for him. His father was letting him have a birthday party this year, but that was on this coming Saturday, and it was currently Tuesday, so it was a few days until then. He smiled up at her. “Thanks, Marinette, but the party is this weekend.”

 

Her cheeks turned bright red. “Yeah, I know. I just… I wanted to give you mine now.”

 

Adrien’s smile grew. “Thanks.” He opened the present to find a beanie inside. “Whoa, this is awesome, Marinette! Did you make this?”

 

She nodded and her face grew even darker. “I’m glad you like it,” she squeaked out before moving past him and out the classroom door.

 

Adrien tucked the gift into his bag and left as well a moment later.

 

\- - - - -

 

“Plagg, this looks kinda like the scarf father got me last year,” Adrien said, turning the beanie over.

 

“Yeah, what a mystery,” Plagg grumbled in between bites of cheese.

 

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows and moved toward where he kept the scarf. It was one of his most prized possessions, after all. He pulled it out. The two seemed to be made out of the same fabric, but Marinette’s gift was handmade, right? He had seen her making it as Chat.

 

He flipped over the scarf and looked on the inside of the hem. There it was, in the stitching. ‘ _ Marinette _ .’

 

Adrien blinked. Why hadn’t Marinette told him she had made it when he came into school the next day? 

 

Before he could think anymore, he heard a scream from outside of his open window.

 

Throwing the beanie and the scarf down onto his bed, Adrien turned to Plagg. 

 

“Do we  _ have _ to?” Plagg groaned.

 

Adrien crossed his arms and nodded.

 

Plagg groaned again.

 

“Plagg,  _ Claws out! _ ”

 

The cool magic washed over Adrien and a few moments later he was Chat Noir.

 

Chat slipped out the window and headed toward the screams without a second thought. Who cared that it was his birthday? He had to save the city.

 

. . .

 

The fight was long. The akuma was from a bride who had found her groom cheating on her on the day of their wedding and was therefore full of a  _ lot _ of rage. Mainly at men, actually.

 

And Chat counted as one of those.

 

“ _ Chat! _ ” 

 

Ladybug’s scream as he was struck by Bridezilla’s (Hawkmoth really had to get better names) echoed in his mind. She let out a yell but he could barely hear it. He had used the Cataclysm, he was running out of time, and he couldn’t move.

 

A minute later, he heard, “ _ Miraculous ladybug! _ ” The magic washed over everything, but he was still hurt. Apparently, Ladybug’s luck didn’t fix the epitome of bad luck itself.

 

“Ladybug! A minute of your time!”

 

“Ladybug, over here!”

 

“Ladybug-”

 

“Ladybug-”

 

“Everyone be quiet!” Chat heard Ladybug shout. She sounded  _ mad _ . “My partner is hurt, and if you care for him and the safety of Paris in any way, you will get out of my way.” Her voice dropped threateningly. “Or I’ll  _ make you _ .”

 

There was a silence and then people were moving. Chat couldn’t open his eyes, even though he tried as he felt two arms wrap around him and pick him up.

 

“I’ve got you, Chaton.”

 

Chat’s hand moved toward his side where his wound was. It was burning. This was not a fun experience.

 

“Chaton, where do I take you? I don’t know where to take you. You’re running out of time, Chaton, please.”

 

Chat couldn’t think straight, but one name came to mind. “ _ Marinette _ …”

 

Ladybug didn’t speak for a moment. Then she said, “Marinette? Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

 

“ _ Marinette _ …”

 

\- - - - -

 

Ladybug slipped into her room and Chat’s ring beeped. One minute left. 

 

He was clearly unconscious. She laid him down on her couch. “Tikki, spots off.” She detransformed while she walked across the room. Tikki moved to where some cookies always were and began to munch on them.

 

“I’d guess forty seconds, Marinette,” Tikki said between bites as she glanced at Chat Noir on the ground. 

 

“Got it.” 

 

Marinette ripped off a piece of paper and scribbled down a few words: “ _ Chat’s kwami: Come join me downstairs when he detransforms so I can get you fed to get your energy back. You can reunite with Tikki after you have your energy back. She will watch over Chat until you return. _ ”

 

“Make sure Chat’s kwami reads that,” Marinette said, tapping on the note before she moved to the trapdoor and slipped down it. Behind her, there was a final beep and then a wave of green light that filled the room. Marinette willed herself not to look back and closed the trapdoor behind her.

 

Marinette was pacing around the kitchen when she heard the trapdoor squeak open. A moment later, a small black blur came flying down toward her.

 

“Hey there, Bug,” the blur said, and she realized a moment later that it was a kwami.  _ Chat’s _ kwami. A small, black cat, who apparently held enough power to destroy Paris with one tap.

 

“Uh… hi?” She said, struggling to find words. “You, uh, you must be Chat’s kwami?”

 

The kwami nodded and swept down into an over-exaggerated bow. “Plagg, at your service.”

 

Marinette chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Plagg. I’m Marinette, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

 

Plagg nodded. “I do.”

 

“So, what do you eat?”

 

Plagg grinned. “You have any camembert?”

 

“Camembert?” Marinette made a face.

 

“Are you insulting my beloved cheese?” 

 

“No, no, I just… Man, I  _ wish _ we had camembert. It may not smell the best, but my family has a  _ killer _ recipe for camembert tarts.” She sighed. “It’s just too expensive to be able to keep in stock.” 

 

Plagg blinked. “As soon as you and my kid figure out each other’s identities, I will  _ force _ him to bring camembert to you so that you can make those tarts. They sound like heaven.”

 

Marinette nodded firmly. “They are.”

 

Plagg sighed. “You have any cheese, then?”

 

“Uh, I’ve got some cheese danishes. They’re not old or stale or anything, they’re just from yesterday’s batch and my parents like to make everything as fresh as possible, especially these since they’re so popular.”

 

Plagg nodded, looking very excited all of a sudden.

 

Marinette got a danish out and held it out to Plagg, who somehow managed to hold the whole thing in his hands despite the fact that it was five times as big as he was.

 

She watched in awe as the kwami downed it completely in only three bites.

 

“How…”

 

“Never underestimate my stomach, Bug.”

 

Marinette snorted. “You have enough energy now?”

 

Plagg nodded. “I’ll go get the kid to transform and then you can come up and fix him up. Tikki’ll probably come get you.”

 

Marinette nodded. “Okay. It was nice to meet you Plagg.”

 

Plagg grinned. “The feeling is actually pretty mutual, Bug. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”

 

The kwami gave her one final nod and then floated off into her bedroom. There was a bit of silence, then some mumbling she couldn’t pick up, and then a flash of green light. Tikki appeared in the opening and gave Marinette a nod and a gesture to come up.

 

Marinette’s heart was pounding and then her blood went cold when she saw Chat. One side of the couch he was on was dyed a deep red color.  _ Blood _ . She could fix that though, she could get it out with the proper chemicals. Right now, she had to focus on Chat.

 

Marinette grabbed up a pair of scissors, the strong ones that she used to cut leather when designing, and moved over to her partner. She cut the leather away quickly. It would reform the next time Chat transformed.

 

She immediately began to apply the antibacterial spray to the wound, trying not to grimace a the sight. Chat was so out of it that he barely made a sound, only whimpering and twitching a bit.

 

She didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.

 

Marinette worked tirelessly, pulling out a thread that she had that best matched his skin tone when she began to do the stitches. Eventually, after maybe an hour, the wound was cleaned and closed up. Marinette sat back with a sigh and admired her handy work.

 

Chat didn’t seem like he was waking up any time soon, so Marinette moved toward her desk and began to do her homework. She scowled.  _ Physics _ .

 

A few hours passed and the sun was beginning to set, but Chat finally woke up.

 

\- - - - -

 

“ _ Chat! _ ”

 

Chat slowly opened his eyes. His head hurt, his side hurt, everything _ hurt _ .

 

“Mari?”

 

“Hey, kitty.” Marinette suddenly appeared above him, and, oh, wasn’t she a sight for sore eyes?”

 

“What…?”

 

“You got really hurt in the akuma attack. Ladybug brought you here. I fixed you up. You really…” She sniffed. “You really scared me, Chat.”

 

Chat blinked and sat up a bit. He glanced down and saw that near where his wound was (huh, the leather was gone there) was a large dark stain on Marinette’s couch.

 

“I ruined your couch,” he murmured. “Sorry.”

 

Marinette shook her head. “It’ll wash out. Every girl knows how to get blood out.” Her cheeks grew red and Chat was very confused as to why.

 

“What do you-”

 

“Nevermind.”

 

Chat nodded and leaned back. He glanced over at Marinette again and stared at her for a long time before asking, “So… did you see who I am or anything?”

 

“What? No, no, no, I went downstairs before you detransformed.”

 

Chat nodded. “Okay. Cool.”

 

Marinette nodded. “Yeah.” She shifted a bit. “I have something for you.”

 

Chat blinked. “What?”

 

“Well, it’s your birthday, so I felt I needed to give you something, because even if people celebrate your civilian birthday, no one is celebrating Chat Noir’s birthday, and he deserves a celebration.”

 

Chat chuckled. “Thanks, Princess, but you don’t need to-”

 

“Too late.” Marinette plopped a present on his lap (actually it was pretty gentle considering his injury). “Go on, open it!”

 

\- - - - -

 

Chat slowly unwrapped the gift box to find two things inside: A black beanie lined with green and a row of pawprints around the rim as well as a matching scarf.

 

“I made Adrien a scarf last year and a beanie this year, and I was just feeling really inspired, so I made you ones too.” She giggled. “More tailored to  _ you _ , obviously.”

 

Chat stared at the two gifts without speaking. Marinette felt her smile fall, replaced with worry.

 

“Do you… not like them?”

 

To her surprise, Chat said nothing. Instead, tears bubbled up in his eyes and slipped right down his cheeks.

 

“Chat? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

 

He wiped his eyes quickly. “It’s just… You’re the first person I told my birthday too, and you remembered, and you  _ made _ me something!” He laughed, and it was a breathy sound. “You just made this the best birthday ever.”

 

Marinette shrugged. “I didn’t do much.”

 

“Yes, you did.”

 

Chat turned to Marinette and he suddenly saw her differently than he had ever seen anyone in his life. Even  _ Ladybug _ .

 

“I love you.”

 

Marinette faltered. She seemed to shut down for a moment before managing to say, “What?”

 

“I just realized it, I think, but I also think I have for a while.” Chat took a deep breath, looked her in the eye, and said, “I  _ love _ you, Marinette.”

 

She stared at him for a long time before she spoke. “Chat… Chat, you know, you  _ know _ I love Adrien.” Chat nodded but his face didn’t fall for some reason. “But I… When you were hurt… I was… I was so  _ scared _ . I was more terrified than I ever thought I would be and I just…” She sighed. “I love Adrien, but maybe I love you too.”

 

Chat felt like he could explode from happiness. His princess loved  _ him _ , both sides of him. He said it in one sentence!

 

He let out a small breath, staring at her before asking, “Can I kiss you?”

 

Marinette blinked. “What?”

 

“Can I?”

 

Marinette let out a breath before nodding. “Yeah.”

 

Ignoring the pain in his side, Chat got up, strode across the room, and dipped Marinette right down into a kiss. Thank god he had been forced to do this before for many photo shoots. He could only imagine how awkward it would be if he was completely inexperienced.

 

When he finally brought her back up, Marinette’s face was as red as he imagined his own being.

 

‘That was nice,” Marinette breathed out.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Marinette brushed her hair back. “You probably have homework.”

 

Chat nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“Happy birthday, Kitty.”

 

“Thanks, Princess.”

 

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Chat picked up his gift and moved toward the window. He sat on the edge of the balcony for a moment before turning around, winking, and blowing a kiss.

 

“Love you,  _ Purr _ -incess.”

 

Before she could respond, Chat was gone.

 

\- - - - -

 

The next day, Adrien grinned as he put on both the scarf and the beanie that Marinette had given to him as Chat Noir.

 

When he got to school, he walked up to Marinette and said, “Thanks for these, Mari. They’re even softer than I thought they’d be.”

 

Marinette had fainted, hit her head, and had to go home for the rest of the day.

 

Oh, he was gonna get a talking-to when he visited her that night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean...
> 
> At least this time the reveal was only half?


	5. Flour Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019 - Prompt 5: Cooking/Baking
> 
> \- - - - -
> 
> After an akuma attack, there's nothing that Marinette likes to do more is relax, and one of the best ways to do that is to bake.
> 
> And if Chat Noir happens to join... 
> 
> So be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May 2019 - Prompt 5: Cooking/Baking
> 
> \- - - - - 
> 
> This one took five days to write, and you may notice that those five days were all school days.
> 
> What a coincidence.
> 
> Also, I feel that the cringy akuma name is accurate.
> 
> Cause they're all cringy.

“I am Flour Fury, and all of you will learn to appreciate my family’s work!”

 

Marinette was not having a good day. First, she had to work the register and deal with an angry customer. Then, she’d had to watch as her father came out to help and was promptly screamed at by said customer, who insulted his work. Then, her mother had been so angry she had gotten akumatized and grabbed Marinette before she could get away. And now, the icing on top of the cake was not being able to transform as she was carried away around the city with her father as her mother (who was now the color of flour and looking not unlike the bright red and pink cake the customer had dropped on the ground) paraded them around. 

 

“Geez, Hawkmoth really needs to up his game with these villain names.” Marinette turned, a grin suddenly on her face as she saw Chat Noir propelling himself toward them with his baton. He landed on the ground in front of them and looked up at Sabine, er, Flour Fury, who was much larger than normal by the way, as she clutched her husband and daughter in her hands.

 

“Hey, there, Marinette. How are you on this fine day?” Chat called up to her as Flour Fury slowed to a halt, looking between Marinette and Chat with a bit of a confused look on her face.

 

“Not bad, Kitty. Thanks for asking,” she replied with a smirk.

 

“Sound just  _ purr _ -fect to me,” Chat said. “Mind if I get you out of there though? I’m not interrupting a family bonding moment or anything, am I?”

 

Flour Fury let out an angry cry.

 

“Not at all,” Marinette continued on. “Feel free to spirit me away at any moment.”

 

“Right away,  _ Purr _ -incess.”

 

Chat went to attacking Flour Fury who kept throwing globs of flour at him. The globs were incredibly sticky, and anyone who touched one couldn’t get unstuck. Chat was, thankfully, able to easily avoid the flour globs (the flobs?) but couldn’t get much closer to them. Finally, he slipped by, took his opportunity, and jabbed his baton in Flour Fury’s hand. She dropped Tom, who fell to the ground a few feet below. 

 

“Get to safety!” Chat exclaimed.

 

“But Marinette!”

 

“I’ll be fine, Papa!” Marinette called, putting on a brave face. “Don’t worry! Get back to the bakery!”

 

Tom nodded after a long moment and ran off before Flour Fury could grab him again.

 

“Gah!” The akuma said as Chat went at her again, swatting him away with her hand. “Stupid cat!” She scowled. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? You don’t interrupt the baker while she’s cooking!”

 

Chat laughed and weaved out of the way of another glob. “Was that supposed to be a catchphrase? Cause it wasn’t very good.”

 

Flour Fury let out a growl at his words and began to throw the globs at him even harder. Chat dodged them with a multitude of tricks and Marinette wondered with a snicker how anyone could ever think that she was the only one of the two who was flexible.

 

“Stay... still... you... stupid... alleycat!”

 

Chat stopped for a moment and tapped his chin before grinning. “Sorry, I don’t think I will.”

 

Chat leaped at Flour Fury suddenly, and she was so caught in the abrupt movement that she couldn’t react as Chat kicked her wrist. Flour Fury released Marinette and Chat snatched her out of the air as she tumbled downward, rocketing away before the akuma could collect herself.

 

“Hey, Princess. Fancy seeing you here,” Chat Noir said as they moved across the rooftops of Paris.

 

Marinette smirked. “Indeed.”

 

Chat set her down a block away in an alley. 

 

“I can get home from here,” Marinette said before he could speak.

 

“ _ Purr _ -omise?”

 

Marinette groaned. “Yeah, sure.”

 

Chat grinned and gave her a salute. “See you then, Mari. Wish me luck.” He frowned. “I wonder what’s taking Ladybug so long…”

 

“W-Well, go get back there! I’m sure that she’ll be there soon!”

 

Chat glanced at Marinette and nodded. “Yeah… Yeah, you’re right.” He gave one more wave. “Bye, Mari.”

 

“Bye, Chaton.”

 

Chat winked at her before his baton extended and disappeared over the edge of the roof.

 

Marinette sighed. A moment later, Tikki appeared from her bag.

 

“Come on, Marinette! You have to transform!”

 

Marinette nodded and put on a brave face. “Tikki, spots on!”

 

Tikki was sucked into the earrings and Marinette felt the warmth of the transformation wash over her. In a flash on pink light, Marinette became Ladybug. She swung up to the roof and made her way toward where her mother was rampaging, the little black blur that must have bee Chat jumping around her.

 

Ladybug moved a bit faster.

 

She had an akuma to stop.

 

\- - - - -

 

Ladybug and Chat Noir managed to stop Flour Fury within an hour. Ladybug had used her Lucky Charm, but Chat hadn’t been forced to use Cataclysm at all.

 

“I need to go check on Mari.”

 

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows. She knew who Chat was talking about but… why?

 

“Who?”

 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chat responded. “She was Mrs. Cheng’s daughter.” Chat gestured at the woman who had recently become normal once again. She looked a bit rattled but overall she was all right as her husband pulled up in his car and ran up to her, catching the woman in an embrace. Chat turned away from them and back to Ladybug. “I dropped her off a few blocks away. I wanna make sure she got home safe.”

 

Ladybug crossed her arms. “I can do that for you.”

 

Chat waved his hand. “No, no, I’ve got it. She's my friend, and it’s on my way anyway.”

 

Ladybug sputtered. “It’s on my way too! I can-” Her miraculous, at that moment, beeped suddenly. She scowled.

 

Chat smirked and crossed his arms. “I’ll check on her.”

 

Realizing that she wasn’t going to win, Ladybug sighed and nodded. “All right.” Before Chat could say anything, she swung away, suddenly desperate to make it home before Chat got there.

 

Ladybug took a different path than usual, one that she hoped might be faster (and also one that Chat wouldn’t be taking). When she made it to the bakery, she looked around the corner and fell back with a yelp. Chat had just landed on her balcony, knocking on the small trapdoor into her room.

 

“Mari?” He called. “Mari, are you in there?” 

 

Ladybug took a deep breath and swung past him. He didn’t notice her. Her earrings beeped again and she covered them immediately, hoping to mask the sound as she landed on her window sill. She had, thankfully, left it unlocked. She opened it and swung inside just as her transformation wore off.

 

Marinette ran to the trapdoor to her balcony and opened it up.

 

She blinked. “Chat Noir?” She hoped she was selling the confusion well enough.

 

“Hey, Mari,” Chat grinned, hopping inside of her room. “How are you on this fine day?”

 

“Uh… I’m fine… What are you doing here?”

 

“Well, I didn’t use Cataclysm during the battle today, so I’ve got forever to come hang out with my favorite  _ purr _ -incess,” he said, sitting back on her couch. His ears drooped. “Unless… That is… if you don’t want me here?”

 

Marinette shook her head, suddenly desperate to make him feel better. “No, no, I love having you here!”

 

He blinked. “Really?”

 

She nodded frantically. “ _ Yes! _ ”

 

Chat smiled and his ears perked up. “Wow, uh, cool!”

 

Marinette nodded again and sat back in her chair at her desk. “So… what do you wanna do?”

  
Chat shrugged. His eyes wandered the room before he grinned widely. “Video games?”

 

\- - - - -

 

“So what did your mom get akumatized over?” Chat asked as Marinette grabbed a few chocolate chips from his pile and put them in hers. She was dominating, of course, but she let Chat win once in a while.

 

“Rude customer,” Marinette responded as she scrolled to find the next track they would do on the racing game they were playing. “Wanted a personalized cake, we only make those if you come in a few days early or call ahead a few days early, not the day of. She screamed at me, then she screamed at Papa, and it made Maman angry enough to attract Hawkmoth, I guess.”

 

Chat nodded.

 

“What do you like to bake, Chat?”

 

He blinked. “I… don’t?”

 

Marinette put her controller down and turned to him suddenly. “You  _ have _ to be joking! Everyone’s  _ tried _ to bake at least  _ once _ .”

 

“I am not  _ kitten _ you, Mari,” Chat said, smirking a bit as she groaned at his pun. “I’ve never baked anything. My family… We’ve never been that kind of family.”

 

Marinette stood straight up even though the new track had just loaded. 

 

“Where are you going?” Chat asked as he looked to Marinette. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his seat. “Okay, where are  _ we _ going?”

 

Marinette pulled Chat to her trapdoor and released him as she descended the ladder. Chat followed her a moment later by simply jumping down to the floor, landing on his feet.

 

“What are we doing?”

 

“We’re gonna bake a cake.”

 

“...What?”

 

Marinette made her way to the stairs and descended down into the bakery. “Maman and Papa closed the bakery for the rest of the day and Mamans akumatization so that they could relax and spend some time together, so we are free to use the bakery kitchen for whatever we’d like.”

 

Chat stared at the kitchen for a long moment before he turned to Marinette with wide eyes. “Mari, you’re literally the best  _ purr _ -son I’ve ever met.”

 

She made a face. “The pun ruined it.” His face fell. “I’m joking, I’m joking. I appreciate that, Chat.”

 

Marinette began to direct Chat as to what to do. He put all the ingredients in at her command and looked extremely excited when she told him he could taste the frosting.

 

“This is literally one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” Chat said as Marinette reached inside the oven to test the cake and see if it was ready. He was bouncing on his toes as she did.

 

“Remind me never to give  _ you _ sugar again.”

 

Chat waved her off lazily.

 

As Marinette pulled the cake out, she placed it on the rack to cool and turned back to her partner.

 

“What now?” Chat asked.

 

“What color do you wanna make the frosting?”

 

\- - - - -

 

In the end, the cake was a ying and yang made with red and black, though the circle on the red was black and on the black it was green. Ladybug and Chat Noir.

 

“I love it,” Chat whispered, looking over it. He really did.

 

“Wanna taste?” 

 

They ended up both eating two enormous slices, sitting in Marinette’s living room with the cake on the counter as they sat on the couch.

 

“That was… That was great, Mari.  _ Purr _ -fect even.”

 

Marientte shoved him playfully and grinned. “You dork. Thanks, I guess. You did a lot of the work, though.”

 

Chat shrugged.

 

Marinette stared at Chat for a long moment before the two both found themselves leaning forward ever so slowly.

 

Before either could stop themselves, their lips met.

 

After a moment, they jumped apart.

 

“I’m so sorry!” They cried simultaneously. They both stared at each other before saying in unison, “Why are  _ you _ sorry?”

 

There was an awkward wave of laughter from the two before they fell silent. Chat ran a hand through his hair and said, “Look, Mari, you know I love Ladybug-”

 

“I know,” Marinette said, nodding. It hurt to hear that, actually. “And I have a crush on a boy in my class.”

 

“Let me finish,” Chat said. Marinette fell silent. “I love Ladybug, but I love you too.”

 

Marinette’s eyes widened. 

 

“I have for a while, I think,” Chat continued. “I just… haven’t admitted it to myslef until now.”

 

Marinette nodded. “I think… I think I feel the same.”

 

Chat grinned. “You wouldn’t mind if we… kissed again… would you?”

 

Marinette tapped her chin before saying, “No, I don’t think I would.”

 

Their lips met again a moment later.

 

\- - - - -

 

When Tom and Sabine got home a few hours later, they were met with two kwamis talking on the counter next to a cake while eating cookies and cheese respectively as well as their detransformed daughter lying cuddled up into a detransformed Adrien Agreste.

 

The couple exchanged a glance before Sabine shrugged. 

 

‘They’ll find out when they wake up,” she said. 

 

Tom, in the meantime, turned to the kwamis. “What happened?”

 

Before Tikki could speak, Plagg grinned. “They  _ kissed _ .”

 

It was a shock that Sabine’s squeal didn’t wake the teens up.


End file.
